The present invention is a batch method and device to manage and store calling tasks. More particularly, the present invention is a method and device to conveniently store and process pending calling tasks and to facilitate postponing pending calling tasks without unduly burdening the attention of a user.
The use of mobile telephones for making business calls when away from the office is well known in the art of communication. Incoming off-site calls are useful for staying accessible. Outgoing off-site calls are useful for making use of idle time when driving, commuting and waiting.
In order to make outgoing calls, the user needs to be aware of the parties that he needs to call and one or more telephone numbers associated to each party. Furthermore, there may be more information that the user needs to remember for example when is a certain party available at a particular phone number or particular issues that need to be brought up to the party. Some of this information is normally available to the users through their memory and recollection.
Several means are used in the prior art to assist a user. Such means include pieces of paper containing notes, printouts of task-lists from personal computers, reminder calls from a secretary, and so on.
More recently, sophisticated personal data management software packages have been developed for personal data assistants (PDA's) and smartphones. Often these packages contain task lists and contact lists which can be automatically synchronized with the user's personal computer. Such packages (for example Microsoft Outlook) have a flexible user interface and store all kinds of data in a few general-purpose lists and databases. For the purpose of this patent application, the term “outlook” will be used for any personal data management software package that has common features with the Microsoft Outlook software available from Microsoft, USA.
Worthington 2002, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,527) teaches a method for personalized time management including setting long term goals, generating tasks and generating schedules and outputting a schedule and tasks list. General-purpose time management programs are very helpful to people who need to organize their time, but become cumbersome for a businessperson whose time is already organized. Such a businessperson would like to be able to put set aside specific tasks and have information available without needing to navigate the complex maze of multiple lists and databases found in a general-purpose time management package. Furthermore, the businessperson would like to postpone and execute pending calls without taking his concentration away from the work he is doing.
Therefore various methods have been developed to facilitate scheduling specific classes of tasks. For example Strubbe et al. 2003 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,059) teaches an automated system for detecting and scheduling repetitive tasks.
Phone assistant software has been developed for incoming phone calls wherein a user may need to quickly access or store data outside of an office setting without prior planning. For example Van Amerongen 2003 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,102) teaches a calling assistant to help a user handle multiple phone calls simultaneously and access information to give to a party or to store information received from the party during a call.
All of these means to assist memory do not address the typical business scenario by which the number of pending outgoing calls is allowed to accumulate during a work-session in the office, with the intention of making the calls when off-site. The typical busy businessperson prefers to use his office time for activities that require the office infrastructure, such as writing, reading, correspondence, surfing the Internet, meetings and touring the premises. During office hours the businessperson needs to concentrate on these tasks and would prefer not to break his attention to compile lists and schedule phone calls on complicated all-purpose scheduling software. Telephone calls can be made while driving, commuting, or sitting in a restaurant or a waiting room. As such, the user would like to have a convenient way to store phone tasks without undue attention and recall them without interrupting his driving or other activity.
It would be very desirable to provide a convenient solution that will facilitate a process by which a user can “store” outgoing telephone calling tasks while working in the office, and “recall” these tasks when available to make these calls off-site.